[HPforGrownups] Neville and the boggart

[porphyria at mindspring.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 36243

Erm, please forgive me for posting a brief addendum to my last post, but I hadn't quite reviewed to the end of the boggart scene when I hit send and I wanted to add a few more words.

Elkins' original concern, if I understood her correctly, was whether Neville himself feels *condescended to*. I was arguing that Lupin's handling of the boggart class was not technically condescending according to my definition. But I'd forgotten that we see more of Neville after his initial performance in the class, and I think this is useful. Lupin makes every student (except H&H) confront the boggart in turn and then returns to Neville:

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

Well, by now he's "looking determined" and he dispatches the boggart with quite understandable glee at the site of Snape in lace. So it seems at least that Neville is relishing the moment, and that he has overcome his initial sense of fear. I don't think this is the reaction of someone who feels that they are being pitied; I don't think Neville is second guessing Lupin's treatment of him at all at this point. Whether he ponders it at length in private is anyone's guess, but Neville strikes me as the type who would appreciate a little positive reinforcement, and Lupin seems to realize this.

Remember Harry is the one who feels condescended to in this class. He thinks that Lupin has skipped him because he's weak. ("Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again?") Granted, Harry's assessment of this class was what was initially in question, but I'm inclined to agree with him here. Skipping over someone would certainly appear more condescending than forcing them into it. It implies you don't think they can handle it.

Again, if Lupin had just out of the blue decided that Neville could have used a confidence boost then it might have looked condescending, but he was planning on teaching a class about boggarts in the first place, and Snape really forced his hand.

So it's all Snape's fault in the end. ;-)

~~Porphyria, who might get back to work now